Shoe or slipper and the like



Junev 14, 1955 G. A. STASINOS SHOE 0R SLIPPER AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 9, 1955 INVENTOR. GEORGE A. STASINOSK,1 BY V Ahorney l 2,710,460 i'atented June i4, 1955 tice SHOE 0R SLIPPER AND THE LIKE George A. Stasinos, Gary, Ind.

Application ctoher 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,156

2 Claims. (Cl. '3G- 7.8)

My invention relates to footwear and has for one of its main objectives to provide a shoe or overshoe, in other words, a shoe which will t over the foot, or an overshoe which will fit over a conventional shoe.

An important object of my invention is to provide an article of the aforementioned character which consists of an upper element and a sole element made of resilient sponge rubber material and provided with bores for retaining resilient means, such as spring elements, in order to be worn and afford comfort to the wearer relieving the wearer of undue strain caused by continued walking or standing. ln other words, the shoe or overshoe would be useful to be worn by persons engaged in work requiring a great deal of standing or Walking, for example, policemen, postmen, waiters, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a slightly improved form thereof in structure which may be utilized f for the amusement of youngsters when worn by them.

A still further object of my invention is to provide footwear of the aforementioned character, which will provide relief to standees and walkers in one form of construction thereof, or furnish exercise and amusement to children when constructed in a slightly modiiied form, a structure which is so composed of simple elemental arrangement as to warrant economical manufacture thereof in quantity production.

Other objects and ancillary advantages inherent in my invention will become apparent from an examination of the accompanying drawings bearing further elucidation in the ensuing description, wherein like symbols are used to designate like parts, and in which;

Fig. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken, substantially, on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a bottom elevational view of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a slightly modified form of my invention.

Referring to the various views, my invention is generally designated 4, and consists of an upper element 5 constructed of leather or elastic material such as rubber. and having a bottom portion 6, a sole 7 made of sponge rubber material is cemented or otherwise attached to the bottom 6 of the upper element 5, and has a heel portion 13 and an arch i2. tiplicity of lower bore portions S and upper bore portions 9, merging with the intermediate and enlarged bored openings i0, in order to confine therein operatively the spring elements ll. The distribution and arrangement of the s rines and the bored ortions l0 is su estivel p a p gg y element having a bottom portion, an outsole and heel illustrated in Fig. 2, and indicates a uniformly spaced relationship.

The structure is such that it may be put on the foot of a person, or if made larger to be worn on a conventional shoe worn by the wearer. When the said shoe, generally designated 4, is worn it will provide resilience throughout the entire sole portion of the foot of thc wearer, and will be compatible with the movements of the metatarsal joints and the ankle compatibly acclimating itself to the particular gait of a walker, so as to relieve foot strain created by conventional shoes.

The shoe is also shown in a modified form as indicated in Fig. 3 which may be made to be worn by youngsters in order to furnish amusement and exercise. In this particular instance the structure is identically the same with the exception that the sole portion is substantially thicker in construction, (about ten times the thickness of a con- The soie is provided with a mulventional shoe sole) is cemented to or otherwise secured to an upper element 5 made either of leather or resilient material, and is provided with bores 15 and 16 merging with the intermediate and enlarged bores 18, confining much longer spring elements 17 than the spring elements 11. The sole 14 is provided with a heel portion 19, arched portion 20, the spring elements i7 being distributed and arranged quite similarly in a manner illustrated in Fig. 2.

Children are usually known to jump a great deal, and the shoe structure provided by my invention will afford them added impetus and encouragement in that direc* tion, so that they will get both beneficial exercise and amusement therefrom. its a known fact that many children, especially in the evening before going to bed, like to jump on the mattress of the bed, My invention, with the very thick sole 14, illustrated in Fig. 3, could be more or less classified as a shoe being accommodated with a mattress type of sole, inasmuch as it is made with resilient sponge-like rubber material, and is provided with auxiliary resilient means in the form of spring elements 17.

Thus, the children will undoubtedly use, preferably, for their amusement, the shoe provided in my invention, Fig. 3, and thus, also, effectuate a saving of the wear and tear of bed mattresses.`

The shoe illustrated in Fig. 3 may be a shoe worn directly on the foot, or made large enough to be worn over a conventional shoe. The upper element 5 may be made of resilient material, such as used in the manufacture of .rubbers for rain protection, so that it may be stretched and easily put on over any conventional shoe, or may be worn directly on the foot.

The shoe comprising my invention will serve a further purpose as an anti-skid structure, namely, when the air in bores 8, 9 and 10, or in bores 15, i6 and 18 is expelled by pressure exerted by the wearer, a suction cup action will result which will cause the shoe to adhere to the walking surface preventing slippage.

While the invention has been herein described in its preferred form it is to be understood that it is not limited to the specific construction herein shown and that it may be practiced in other forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus described and revealed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An article of footwear adapted to furnish both exercise and amusement to wearers, comprising an upper element having a bottom portion, an outsole and heel element made of sponge rubber and secured to said bottom portion and provided with through bores each having intermediately positioned enlarged bore portions, and compression coil spring elements confined within said enlarged bore portions.

2. An article of footwear adapted to furnish both exercise and amusement to wearers, comprising an upper element made of sponge rubber and secured to said bottom portion and provided with through bores each having intermediately positioned enlarged bore portions, and compression coil spring elements confined within said enlarged bore portions, said outsole and heel element being of a thickness equivalent to one iifth the length thereof.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,437,227 Hall Mar. 2, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 70 14,367/90 Great Britain Oct. 1l, 1890 42,504 Switzerland e- Mar, l0, 1908 431,023 Great Britain .lune 28, 1935 

